Mirrored Reflections
by Reika Hyouden
Summary: Sasuke Uchiha has left Konoha, leaving behind his comrades, friends, and teammates to pick up the pieces. Where does this leave everyone? And what will happen when he comes back? SasuSaku, NejiTen, NaruHina, and ShikaIno.
1. Chapter 1: The Beginning of the End

_A/N- Another Naruto fanfiction. Based after Sasuke left Konoha._

_Please review at the end of this first chapter!_

* * *

There it was.

He overlooked the village of Konohagakure. Same buildings, same landmarks. Even that stupid Hokage monument at the far rear. Why did they still keep that? It would all be going down after he's finished with this pathetic excuse of a village.

He smirked to himself. Did he really once become part of this? Sasuke Uchiha is stronger than this. He deserves it.

He shouldn't even be wasting his time on this village!

His mind snapped him back to reality. What these shinobi have done to his family, his life...was unforgivable. And he will make them pay.

His mouthed opened, letting only a few words escape into the open blackness.

"Konoha, I'm coming for you."

Naruto slurped down another bowl of miso ramen.

"Naruto, slow down. There's plenty more ramen." Sakura said, grabbing a few soba noodles with her chopsticks. They had just come back from an A-rank mission. It turned out as a success, much to Kakashi's please.

"Yeah, but Sakura," Naruto stated, between gulps, "I'm hungry, and the only way to feel better is to eat." Sakura rolled her eyes, gazing back down at her half-eaten dish. She remembered what it was like when a certain Uchiha prodigy was here with her so many years ago. She recalled all the laughs, all the heartaches, the cuts and bruises, but overall, it was fun!

'If only-he was here now.' Sakura thought, heaving a depressed sigh. Her eyelids fluttered open again, looking at Naruto with his mouth full of ramen. He caught her gaze.

"Sakura," he said between gulps, "Are you feeling okay?" She could tell that it concern was genuine, even with miso ramen still hanging from his lips. Same old Naruto-clueless as always.

"Yeah, Naruto, I'm fine." She lied, fixing her gaze to eat her ramen again.

"Well, I'm almost done, so we can go wherever you want to after!" He stated, flashing a toothy grin her way.

"Thanks Naruto." Sakura greeted. She couldn't help but smile at his offer. He always found a way to make her smile-even in her bad moods. Well, when she's in one of her moods, who wouldn't want to help her calm down?

Naruto changed his facial expression.

"On one condition," he said, pointing a finger at her, "you're paying for the ramen."

* * *

"Sogu: Tensasai!"  
"Hakkesho Kaiten!"

It was Weapon versus Kekkei Genkai. Her throws were precise, aimed right for him. His chakra was evenly spread out, covering his body perfectly. It was a very close battle, but Neji ended up having no scratches at all-typical.

"You win again." Tenten breathed, more like sighed, out. She immediately went to pack up her weapons, knowing that their sparring session was over.

Neji smirked, walking up to her like he would anyone.

Some people in Konoha thought that they had something together, he and Tenten. And Neji found that ridiculous. I mean, Tenten is a great friend and all, but he knew that they could never be more than that. His clan would never allow it. He'd admit, she certainly had matured over the years, both physically and emotionally, but he hadn't grown attached to her. Did he? The young Hyuuga just shook those thoughts out of his head. 'Tenten will only be a teammate,' he reminded himself, 'nothing more.'

The kunoichi who was on his mind turned to him, also striding to meet the prodigy.

"Well, I'll best be going."

"Where?" He asked plainly.

"To get something to eat." Tenten answered, heading in the other direction now. She paused, "Would you like to join me?"

His eyes widened, not enough to let her notice, but still, widened. She had never asked him to join her to eat since they were Genin! Even then he rejected! He quickly regained his composture.

"Of course."

Her heart leaped. That was the very first time he'd actually accepted! And yes, she'd been counting.

They walked off together, each not daring to say a word.

* * *

"Shikamaru, hold on!" Ino called out, leaving her family's flower shop in the process. She had just finished her shift and needed to talk to him about the next mission.

"What is it Ino?" He asked exasperatedly. Lazy-ass.

"I have to talk to you about the next mission we're getting!"

Ever since Asuma died, missions were scarce. They were usually assigned a C-rank, maybe a B-rank then and there. But that was usually it.

Shikamaru's face seemed to light up. "Really?"

"Yeah, we're going with Tenten's team to go on an A-rank."

"Okay." He said, continuing to walk ahead.

"Hey," Ino whined, "I'm starving! Can we get a bite to eat or something?"

"Troublesome..." Shikamaru muttered, turning the other way to follow her.

* * *

Hinata was walking around Konoha, enjoying the silence-while it lasted.

"Hey, Hinata-chan!" she heard Naruto call out, as she was walking past Ichiraku Ramen. She smiled; Naruto could always be found eating here. She adored eating at this place as well; reminding her of all the memories she once lived.

"Why don't you eat with us?" He called out again, before being smacked in the head by Sakura.

"You just ate five bowls of ramen! How many more can you eat?"

"Actually, Sakura, five and a half if I include yours." Naruto stated, as Sakura's eye twitched. He seemed to have completely forgotten about his 'deal' with her. Well, she loved spending time with Hinata.

"Come on Sakura, you really shouldn't be whining. He usually will eat up to seven before he's half full." Tenten pointed out, entering the store with Neji.

"Neji Nii-san." Hinata addressed.

"Hinata-sama." Said Hyuuga bowed, slightly.

Naruto looked confused as ever, and Sakura elbowed him, making him choke on his ramen. Tenten laughed, Hinata giggled, and Neji smirked. Smooth, Uzumaki, real smooth. Sakura, in the meanwhile, was trying to make him cough the noodles back up. She was failing, until Ino showed up. With one big swing of her fist, the noodles came right back up into the bowl. Everyone looked in disgust.

"Yay, ramen!" Naruto cheered.

Everyone stared.

"What?"

"Can we just eat?" Ino asked, taking her seat. Soon enough, Shikamaru, Hinata, Neji, and Tenten took their seats as well. Once their orders were taken (they ordered anything except for miso ramen after what they had just witnessed), they started a conversation. Not with each other, but in two separate groups. If it wasn't obvious enough, Neji, Tenten, Ino, and Shikamaru began talking about their assigned mission.

"So, when and where is it going to be held?"

"We are getting the details later on today."

"Troublesome..."

"Lee better not hug me when I see him at the front gates..."

Hinata and Sakura were talking about the medicinal herbs that they were newly given by Tsunade.

"We have a plant that was imported all the way from the Village Hidden in the Rain!"

"R-Really? That's really rare. K-Konoha isn't allies with that village..."

While they were talking, Naruto just continued chewing his noodles.

A messenger came in, panting loudly. He seemed to have been in a rush to get to the ramen shop.

"Tsunade-sama," he sent, between breaths, "needs to see you right away!" And with that, he left in a flash.

"But my ramen!" Naruto whined, after being dragged by Ino out the door. Ino had trouble keeping him quiet along the way, so Neji took over after being annoyed way too many times, and after Tenten, Ino, and Sakura begged him to. Hinata just giggled quietly to herself.

* * *

They entered the Hokage Tower, thankfully, in silence.

Hinata knocked onto the door gently, before hearing a 'get in' coming from the other side.

"Tsunade-sama, what is the problem?" Tenten asked the question all the other shinobi were itching to put out.

"Sasuke Uchiha has been spotted around Konoha."

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_Please review and tell me what you think!_


	2. Chapter 2: Unexpected Encounter

_A/N-Hope you enjoy the next chapter! Please review!_

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There was a mix of chatter that entered the room.

"Sasuke spotted in Konoha? How unpredictable!"

"So, the Uchiha has finally decided to make his move on Konoha. Interesting."

"Sasuke-teme was somewhere around here? Wow, I should have been paying more attention!"

"Troublesome...if Sasuke comes back, who knows what damage he can do."

While everyone was too busy ranting on about their thoughts, Sakura felt like time froze. Sasuke, her old teammate that she once loved. Scratch that last thought. She still loved him, there was no denying that. Sakura had loved him since, well, that first day back at the academy.

_**Flashback**_

"Sakura!" Ino called, waving her hands, trying to get her attention.

"Yeah, Ino?" She answered, fiddling around with a sakura petal. She let go of it, watching it fall to the ground. They were nine, just into their first year at the academy.

The blonde had finally reached the young Haruno, panting. This was highly unusual to Sakura; Ino had never gone out of her way to _run_!

"What is it?" Sakura insisted, wanting this conversation to hurry. Iruka-sensei did not appreciate students who showed up late to any of his classes.

"Have you seen the new student? He's so cute!" Ino squealed, like she always does when she meets someone whom she likes. Sakura had realized this the first year she'd met her.

"No, what does he look like?" She asked plainly. She hadn't seen him nor met him before, so she was genuinely curious. If Ino felt this excited about a boy, he ought to have some sort of attractiveness sewn to him.

"Come on, I'll show you!" Ino dragged her best friend towards the academy entrance.

There he was. Exactly where Ino had shown her he was going to be. In Sakura's eyes, he was perfect. Illuminated onyx eyes, beautiful jet black hair. Heck, his ninja skills were even precise as well! Every kunai he threw lodged themselves into the tree in front of him. This was not normal for some children; training in plain sight for everyone to see him, in the morning if that counted as well.

"Isn't he gorgeous?" Ino sighed.

"Yeah, he sure is."

_**End of Flashback**_

And now he was spotted near Konohagakure? After he left the village to gain 'strength'? She smirked at that last part. Everyone knew that he didn't need any more strength from anyone; he was already twice as strong as many Chunin and Jonin in Konoha! But he still left, leaving her to sulk for days.

"Silence!" Tsunade demanded, pounding her fists against the table. A bead of sweat (probably caused by irritation) rolled down her forehead. She had enough of their rambling.

"Tsunade-sama, what would you like us to do about this situation?" Neji asked, getting right to the point. He disliked not knowing what was happening in and around this village-especially if it had something to do with that wretched Uchiha.

"Neji, if you must know, we cannot have this predator roaming around our village by his own free will. We must stop to this situation ourselves." Tsunade answered, calming down a little. She had sat back down in her chair, her head resting in her hands.

"And how are we supposed to do this?" Tenten followed, a stern look planted on her face. If she was assigned anything, even if it was to return Sasuke Uchiha, she'll accomplish it-hands down.

"I'm going to cancel all your missions, and assign you all to track down Sasuke Uchiha and bring him back to Konoha." Tsunade answered her, turning to the rest of the shinobi present in the room at that moment. "And I want this to be done in secret. If word gets out that the Uchiha is out roaming the streets, who knows what the other villages are going to think."

The ninja seemed to understand, especially the ones who went on the revival mission a few years back. They know (from personal experience) what chaos that could bring up.

"This will start first thing tomorrow. You are free to leave." The Hokage motioned her hand towards the door, and they left, one by one.

'I just hope we're not too late.' Tsunade thought to herself, watching the last of the shinobi exit her office.

* * *

Sakura kicked a pebble out of her way.

'Stupid Sasuke. Why did he become such a bastard and leave in the first place? I mean, he was strong enough before he went to Orochimaru!' She thought, watching the stone roll its way under a bench.

Oh, the irony. That was the very bench that Sasuke left her on when he left. The same one which he left her on after saying a brief 'thank you'. She cherished that moment, even though she hated it at the same time.

But still, Sakura sat down, fiddling with her hands, somewhat like what Hinata does around Naruto. She kicked her feet up on the bench as well; feeling too tired to keep them steadily planted on the ground.

After a while, she got bored from just lying there, and started to trot off, outside of Konoha (being let out by the guards after hearing that Tsunade ordered her to, which was an obvious lie). She had no idea what led her there, but still, she walked on, hearing and seeing things that were not visible inside of the village. The moon, night creatures out to hunt. It all seemed so surreal to her. She noticed all the stars, feeling like if she could just reach up and grab one effortlessly. She was so wound up in her thoughts, that she didn't notice what was going on around her.

That was, until a sudden gust of wind came her way, making the minuscule little hairs on her neck stand up straight. She froze, not wanting to move. She instinctively moved her hand down, slowly, inch by inch to get a kunai from the pocket of her sweater.

"Sakura." She recognized that voice anywhere.

"Sasuke?"

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_Please Review! *Yawn* So tired..._


	3. Chapter 3: You've Changed

_A/N: Thank you for all the views! Just to let you know, I'll probably be updating a new chapter every few weeks, if I'm not too busy. These couple of weeks were hectic, because I had exams, but nevertheless, keep on reading and reviewing!_

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The moon glowed furiously. It was practically the only thing that outshone the sparkle in Sakura's eyes. The tension that was in the air felt unbearable to her. But, nonetheless, she refused to show any fear. It turned out to be a challenge, because Sasuke could almost smell fear, but that didn't stop her from trying anyway.

"Sakura..." His voice was as frigid as the last time she saw him. She then started scolding herself about how she used to obsess over him. But I mean, who could blame her? Back then, he was everything she wanted. Sasuke Uchiha had the looks, brains, and body. He was the complete package! Well, minding the fact that he turned into a brutal, uncontrolled bastard a few years after they turned Genin.

She didn't dare to speak. What was she even supposed to say? 'Hey, Sasuke! What are you doing here? Oh, I see. You've come to finish me off, haven't you?' Sakura smirked inwardly at her thoughts. She would never have the guts to actually say that in front of him.

"Sakura…" Sasuke repeated, this time more demanding-as she can tell by the hint in his voice. There was a rustle of leaves and she concluded that he was moving closer to her. The grip on her kunai was so tight that her knuckles were beginning to turn white.

"Sakura, you don't have to be afraid…" The Uchiha teased harshly.

Sakura took a deep breath, and then turned around to fix her gaze on him.

"What the hell do you want from me, Sasuke?" Sakura spat, not letting him have the happiness he's demanding.

"Oh, I see someone has grown more hostile over the years." He pointed out, smirking to himself. She hated that smirk, even though it was one any other would immediately fall for.

"Like _you_ should be talking."

Sasuke froze, choosing his words carefully.

"What do you mean, Haruno?" Sakura was shocked. A few years ago they were teammates! Now he can't even acknowledge her with her actual name?

"I mean you've changed, Sasuke…" She trailed off, and Sasuke could see the pain in her eyes.

"So you still like me?" He genuinely asked. Sakura seemed to brighten up at this, but it all came tumbling down. "That's pretty pathetic."

She scoffed. "Just leave me alone, Uchiha." She tried to use the same strategy as he did. "And I couldn't care less about you." She lied. "Besides, you're nothing like you used to be."

"What the fuck does that mean?"

"You used to be everything a girl wanted. Now, it seems like you're becoming a complete different person."

She expected an answer, but all she saw was a spark of light and she heard the familiar sound of chirping birds.

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_A/N- Short chapter, I know, but I wanted the next chapter to be the start of the actual fight between Sasuke and Sakura. A reviewer wanted some more action in the story, so that will be included in the next chapter. Please review!_


	4. Chapter 4: Prove It

_A/N- Yeah, I haven't written anything for this story for a few weeks. So, you can say I have writer's block. I'm just going to start off this chapter now and see how it turns out. Fingers crossed it turns out to be good!_

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She stepped swiftly aside, just as he was thrusting his arm towards her frail body. His eyes widened slightly. Sakura was actually pretty surprised herself that he had missed her. Growing weak, Sasuke? She smirked outwardly at the thought, almost as well as he could (because, after many years of knowing him, she, of course, picked it up).

"So, that's how you want to settle things?" She asked, tightening the gloves on her hands. If he wanted to play this like that, then fine. "I thought we were going to be more professional about all this."

Sasuke regained his composture and turned slightly, just enough for her to see part of his face.

She was expecting something great, maybe another attack on her, so she stood her ground, ready to play offense. But hell, she was furious on the one action Sasuke gave her.

He smirked.

That annoying, bratty, ignorant, sexy-as-hell smirk that he used in place of a smile, or laugh. It took all the willpower in her not to just smack across his Uchiha face. Man, all the memories of that one smirk. If only he cared about them too...

"Sakura," he started, a little too cockily, "I know you. You can't beat me."

She had enough by then. Sasuke barely winced as a cold hand connected with his Uchiha face.

"You bastard. Why the hell are you here in the first place?" Sakura bit her lip tightly, trying not to scream or cry. She didn't feel anything except raw hate and anger. If he wasn't so skilled as he was, she would've dragged his sorry ass back to Konoha and make him face the punishment he so rightfully deserved. Like she cared what that punishment was. Hell, she would even request she'd give it to him personally!

"Isn't it obvious? Or are you just too clueless to know?" His harsh, asking words brought her back to this cruel reality. "Sakura, I brought you down once. Don't think for a second that I can't do so again."

"Shut up!" Her fist swung aiming for that so-called 'precious Uchiha face' that she used to call it. He easily caught it, and kicked below, right for her feet. She jumped and in doing so, managed to land a kick to his stomach. He stumbled back in surprise.

"I'm not that weak little bitch you think I am, Sasuke. And _you_ should be the one who shouldn't think for a second that I can't take you down either." He raised a delicate eyebrow. She was actually _serious? _Did she actually think that a girl like _her_ could beat _him_? _The _Uchiha Sasuke? Foolish little Haruno...

"Do you actually mean that Sakura? Or are you just promising things that you now know you can't execute?" She had enough. No, _more_ than enough. If that jerk couldn't just believe what she had said to him a few seconds ago, then why can't she just _show_ him? It would be easier that way, and she would have the satisfaction of wiping that pathetic smirk off his face.

She had always wanted just to have a fairytale-like romance. Like one where the prince saves the princess and they all live happily ever after. But she knew that couldn't happen the moment he left her. If only he came back before. He'd be here, but not with the intent to kill her. He'd be standing with her here, but not glaring at her like he was trying to burn a hole through her head. If this was like one of those fairytales, he wouldn't be such an ass...

Sasuke had activated his sharingan, she noted, and stood her ground. His eyes were closed. Cocky little bastard.

He waited...and waited...and waited. His eyes shot open.

"What the hell?" he muttered under his breath. She was gone. Disappeared without a trace. He cursed himself for being so ignorant.

She had him; that much was obvious. So, she smirked while she charged behind him. He snapped back around, facing her and catching her fist. She took this opportunity to use her other hand (which was occupied with her kunai) to aim for his chest. He stepped back, causing her to miss her target. Barely. She spun around, resulting in Sasuke to let go of her once immobile hand. They were now a few feet away from each other's bodies.

Sakura punched the ground beneath both of them, and it split in two. Dust, dirt, and aftermath covered everything.

But he was gone. Gone.

She couldn't believe it. She spun around, in all the different directions she knew so that she could make sure that he wasn't trying to pull a sneak attack like she did. But he was gone.

Sasuke watched as she trotted off back to that wretched village called Konoha. She wouldn't dare tell anyone about this encounter; she wasn't that much of an idiot. Was she? He had to admit, she had grew up to be stronger than she was before. Then again, back then she was a poor excuse of a Genin. He even wondered if the academy only let her through because they were short on kunoichi. He jumped down from the tree that he hid in and ran, far away from the scene of this incident. If Sakura was this weak, then he wouldn't have a problem taking out the rest of Konoha.

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_A/N- I don't know if you could call that a fight scene, but hey, I tried. I hope you enjoyed that chapter! Please Review! _


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